New Smyrna woman struck and left on side of road discharged from hospital

Thursday

Sep 19, 2013 at 5:20 PMSep 19, 2013 at 9:50 PM

A New Smyrna Beach woman struck down from her bicycle and left on the side of the road earlier this month by a motorist has been discharged from Halifax Health Medical Center, authorities said.

By Patricio G. Balonapatricio.balona@news-jrnl.com

A New Smyrna Beach woman struck down while bicycling and left on the side of the road earlier this month by a hit-run driver has been discharged from Halifax Health Medical Center, authorities said.Shariema Smith, 30, will undergo months of rehabilitation before she can return home to be with her 12-year-old daughter, Zaria Smith, said New Smyrna Beach police Sgt. Eugene Griffith. Shariema Smith could not be immediately reached Thursday and it is unclear where she is continuing her recovery.Her daughter also received some good news Thursday. She got a new bicycle to replace the one her mother was riding but which was damaged when she was hit by a full-size pickup, police said. Tom Menzel and Green Pedal Ministries donated the bicycle and a Walmart gift card, which were presented to the girl by police Lt. Donna Lavallee, Griffith said.On Sept. 6 at 6:11 a.m., Shariema Smith was riding the bicycle to work. She was struck by a truck in the 1700 block of State Road 44 near intersection with West Canal Street. The 30-year-old woman was thrown from the bicycle and landed in the roadway. The driver of the suspect vehicle stopped and briefly spoke with her before removing the bicycle from under his vehicle and taking off, Griffith said. Suffering from a broken neck and shattered pelvis, Shariema Smith was able to pull herself onto the median and call 9-1-1, police said.Griffith said police followed up on a couple leads but have not been able to locate the hit-and-run driver or the vehicle.Anyone with information is asked to contact the New Smyrna Beach Police Department at 386-424-2220 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477). Callers to Crime Stoppers remain anonymous and may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an indictment.